Some academics in Asia are calling for the formal incorporation of ‘compassion’ into university curricula if the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are to be fully realised.
Universities train future leaders, but there is a lack of emphasis on teaching ‘compassion’, these academics have suggested, which is particularly important in a world marked by growing authoritarianism and increasingly driven by artificial intelligence and other ‘non-feeling’ technologies.
“The reduction of poverty via inclusivism (incorporating the voices of the poor in research and reporting) and tolerance … all give emphasis to sustainability,” said Dr Palphol Rodloytuk, vice-president for strategic planning at Shinawatra University, Bangkok. “Compassion is already being implemented in policy”, he added.
“Without compassion, future leaders may lack the ability to understand and respond to the needs of others, which is essential for creating a peaceful and just world,” said Dr Khin Maung Kyi, a lecturer in Buddhist studies and ethics at Phaung Daw Oo International University in Myanmar.
“Leadership is not just about driving change or achieving goals; it’s also about understanding the human aspect of those changes,” said Khin.
Khin, who is also the founder of the Dhammadipa Buddhism Centre in Mandalay, Myanmar, added: “In my Buddhist studies teachings in Mandalay, compassion is a core component.
“It is taught through both theoretical study and practical application, such as guided meditations and reflective exercises. Students generally respond positively, appreciating the depth and personal relevance of these teachings.”
Compassion and courage
In late June Tshering Tobgay, prime minister of the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, spoke to a packed auditorium at Thailand’s prestigious Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, saying when educating Asia’s future leaders, it was important to include in higher education curricula Asia’s traditional philosophical wisdom based on compassion.
This would shape the “collective effort towards global cooperation that is crucial for a prosperous, peaceful, and sustainable world,” he said in his address on 27 June to students and academics.
He stressed the importance of leadership in preserving culture and enhancing global partnerships for sustainable development.
“Leadership is the ability to envision something better than the current status quo,” Tobgay said, adding this is important to tackle current global problems like climate change, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions and said the global community was “facing one crisis after another”.
“You can get knowledge from [universities like] Chulalongkorn and you go out to implement this knowledge,” he said. However, he cautioned about the consequences of implementing such knowledge “without caring about consequences”.
“If you have knowledge without compassion and the courage [to implement it] it's of limited use [and] is dangerous. This is what makes authoritarians. This is what makes dictators,” he warned.
In response to a question from a Chulalongkorn University student on the role of artificial intelligence in higher education and in driving social change, Tobgay said: “AI may give you the courage to implement things, without even considering why we need to implement it.”
Tobgay added: “If AI could have compassion, oh, problem solved. We have the enlightened leader. But I doubt [that]. I cannot see AI having compassion. That's what makes AI dangerous.”
Mindful communication
Sugath Senarath, head of the mass communications programme at the University of Colombo’s Sri Palee campus in Sri Lanka, agreed there was a “noticeable lack of emphasis” on teaching compassion.
“Many future leaders are focused solely on achieving their goals without considering the welfare of others. As our lives become increasingly technical, we risk losing essential human qualities and try to compensate for this loss through technological advancements,” he said.
Senarath has introduced a new course on mindful communication at his university, which draws on a curriculum developed at Chulalongkorn University in 2017 under a UNESCO grant to train Asian communicators using concepts from Eastern philosophy.
The curriculum developed at Chulalongkorn, designed for students of communication and journalism, focuses on the promotion of sustainable development. It begins with two sessions on mindful meditation practice.
Universal values
Within its secular approach, it incorporates Buddhist principles of the Noble Eightfold Path – right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration – to train students in “listening deeply” to those who are suffering and to develop a communication process that supports grassroots change rather than points fingers at government and causes conflict.
Lessons in sufficiency economics are included to address economic issues from a sustainable, just and contentment-oriented path.
“We need to apply this approach more broadly, not just to humanities and social sciences, but also to other fields, including science,” argued Senarath.
“Many curricula in Asia follow a Western-centric approach and do not fully consider their cultural, traditional, and philosophical roots, largely due to a colonised mindset,” he noted.
Senarath and others see compassion as a universal value not confined to any particular religion. “Compassion is fundamental for living in harmony and peace, and it involves thinking and feeling with others.
Today, the world faces severe challenges such as wars, crimes, and conflicts, which can often be attributed to a lack of compassion,” he said.
Rodloytuk said Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education emphasises ethics as part of the learning outcomes for students when a new curriculum or new courses are launched.
“But when it comes to the term ‘compassion’, it tends to have religious or moral meaning,” he told University World News, suggesting instead the use of the term ‘humanism’ in university education because it can be more easily grasped.
Universities with a ‘deep conscience’
Nisar Keshvani, a Singaporean educator who has worked on five continents and is currently assistant dean for communication and public affairs at Northwestern University, Qatar, believes most universities have “a deep conscience”.
Some have embedded the notion of compassion into their programmes. However, he said: “Typically, they are placed outside [of the] classroom experience” – in co-curricular activities, overseas exchanges, service learning, sustainability and support programmes for the marginalised.
During his involvement in a project at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in association with Chiang Mai University (CMU), Thailand and the Thai villages of Pu Muen and Den Luang villages, Keshvani took a group of students to Thailand for two weeks focusing on media and sustainability initiatives at tea plantations, and delivering education to remote mountain communities.
The project aimed to help community members improve their economic well-being under the Southeast Asian Friendship initiative, an experiential intercultural programme for undergraduates linked to the SDGs.
In preparation, students had classes on the geography and culture of the region they were visiting, SDGs and language training.
“There is a slowly emerging trend to incorporate [this type of activity] into the classroom through unique academic offerings,” Keshvani said. “Though challenging, treating others with gentle respect is paramount for them to deliver their best, and in turn for you to excel in your role. It is a symbiotic relationship.
“Some may perceive that the ethic of giving, compassion, service and caring for others is limited to religion. In fact, these are the basic underpinnings of being a good human being,” said Keshvani, who is Muslim.
“As educators, mentors, leaders, and parents, it is our responsibility to ensure that our youth embody these principles.”
Source: University World News
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